


I'd Rather Not Say

by swiftishere



Series: MSA One-Shots [7]
Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Hospitalization, Immediately Post-Hellbent (Mystery Skulls Animated), Lewis is a Dirty Fucking Liar, Post-Hellbent (Mystery Skulls Animated), Vivi Knows More Than She Lets On, arthur but only mentioned, but like he's mentioned a lot you Know, he hates it too dont worry, is that a tag? i think it should be anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:40:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23115637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swiftishere/pseuds/swiftishere
Summary: Lewis is put on the spot and you really can’t blame him for what he’s saying. He was right to do what he did, anyway, no matter how much his stupid noisy misplaced feelings want to tell him otherwise. He just needs to figure out how to convince everyone else of that, and in the meantime, maybe he’ll have to stretch the truth a little.Something terrible has happened, but at least Vivi got one of her friends back in the bargain. She just hopes that’s agiftand not atrade. And that having him here is something to be glad about, and not another problem he’s not telling her about.
Relationships: Lewis & Vivi (Mystery Skulls Animated), Mystery & Vivi (Mystery Skulls Animated)
Series: MSA One-Shots [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1440190
Kudos: 90





	I'd Rather Not Say

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally connected to an older wip i had lying around but then that didn't happen. they still work together though so maybe bug me to post it

"I told you, I really don't know what happened." And that was true. Maybe not the _whole_ truth, but he honestly wasn't sure what had possessed Arthur not to fight him in the end, _or_ why he'd managed to survive that fall. It was _identical_ to the drop that had killed _him_ , but somehow _Arthur_ was spared from it? 

"It was _your_ truck. _You_ were the only one in there when it happened!" Vivi was getting _angry_ now and that wasn't good. Soon she'd start _prying_ and he never could figure out how to keep a secret from her when she got like this. 

"I really, _really_ don't know. Listen-" as he speaks, a sour taste settles in his nonexistent mouth. "-I know my behavior hasn't been... the best, but do you really think I'd do _this?_ I was just- trying to _scare_ him! Not... not... I would _never_ do _anything_ like _this_!" God, he felt _sick_. It was such a horrible lie and the worst part was, he _knew_ she'd take it. Vivi was quick to trust, and she _knew_ him – the _old_ him – and she'd already accepted him back. Why did Vivi always have to see the best in people? It was working to his advantage now and he _hated_ it. 

And sure enough, her expression softened, and her hunched shoulders and raised hands dropped. "I know. I know. It's just... the last time something like this... I..." she sniffed, looking down and away. "I almost lost _both_ of you and I _still_ don't know why _that_ happened. And now it's happening _again_ and I just- I just-" 

"Vivi- Vivi, it's okay. It's going to be okay. You heard them, he'll be... he'll be fine. It's just going to take time." He reached out and she practically _fell_ into his arms, hands sneaking up to wrap around his collar. He pulled her closer and quietly murmured into her hair. "I'm just glad you believe me." 

God damnit god _damnit why did he have to say that_? It was just adding insult to injury now, he didn't _want_ to do this _why did he have to keep talking_? 

Mystery hops up to nestle into Vivi's side, and looks up at Lewis with those innocent doe-eyes of his. _That_ is too much to bear, but at least when Lewis lets out a soft, poorly-stifled sob, he has something else to blame it on. 

* * *

"He isn't telling the truth." 

"I know," Vivi mumbles, not raising her face out of her hands. "I know. But... _fuck_ it's dumb but... I want to just leave it. I _really_ don't want to push him on it. Not right now." 

Mystery quietly scratches at the bedspread. "It's already a lot of pressure. I know for you especially, this is..." 

"What is he going to _say_?" She shakes her head, rubbing her eyes. "What am I going to find out if I keep asking? You know he'd tell me eventually and... I just... I can't. I can't hear _why he would do this_. He _still_ hasn't even explained everything _else_! The mansion and all the chasing and... it's _Lewis_ , boy. What could push _our Lewis_ to... to doing _this_? To chasing his friends all over the state just to _terrorize_ them?" 

He finally jumps off the bed to go hop into her lap. "I'm not sure I want to hear his reasons either. But _shouldn't_ we know? What if..." 

"I _know_!" she snaps, fingers clenching her face tighter. " _What if he does it again_ , I _know_. But it just- you've talked to him, it feels _so much like him_ and I just- I don't want to mess this up right now. Everything's hanging together by a thread as it is." 

She lays down on the desk, one arm serving as a pillow for her head and the other hand falling to rest on his head. It's a moment before she speaks again, and this time it's through quiet tears. 

"Why would he do this? Why was it..." a quiet, unsteady laugh, barely different from the sobs. "Why was it _Arthur_?" 

There's a second part to the question, one that isn't spoken but he can still hear as clearly as what she says out loud. It's been hanging in the air ever since the incident in the cave, when Vivi was the only one who managed to walk out unharmed, when she had to hand-deliver her best friend to the hospital. 

_Why didn't he pick me?_


End file.
